'Bait bike' scheme nets 4 arrests after string of thefts in Garden City, West Kildonan

Winnipeg police arrested four people earlier this month using a "bait bike" scheme after dozens of bicycles were stolen from the Garden City and West Kildonan areas.

Several businesses in the areas submitted police reports, and police also worked with businesses that hadvideo surveillance of bike thefts in recent months.

One gym indicated about 100 bikes were stolen from outside the business since June, police said in a Thursday news release.

On Sept. 14, police placed a decoy bike in several areas near businesses in the neighbourhoods that reported multiple recent thefts.

Two men were arrested for attempting to steal the bike, whiletwo other males were arrested for "casing bikes with bolt cutters," police said. One of the latter was a suspect in thebike thefts near the gym.

The police service encouragedWinnipeg victims of property thefts to submit reports online, saying those reports help pinpoint high-crime areas and determine where they should focus resources.

They also suggest registering your bike, so that if it is stolen and located investigators can more easilyarrange to return it.

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